Mailbox signal



y 9, 1968 F. R. SECKLER 3,391,861

MAILBOX SIGNAL Filed Sept. 26, 1966 IN VEN TOR.

Fred R. Sealiler a/zwew ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,391,861 MAILBOXSIGNAL Fred R. Seckler, 3300 6th St. SW., Canton, Ohio 44710 Filed Sept.26, 1966, Ser. No. 581,895 3 Claims. (Cl. 232-35) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A signal for a rural type mailbox having a spring strip withits lower end connected to the inner surface of the hinged door of themailbox and a brightly colored ball upon the upper end thereof, thespring strip being of such length that it may be bent inwardly andentirely enclosed within the mailbox and that in projected position theupper end will extend above the top of the box displaying the ball.

The invention relates to signal means for rural mailboxes for indicatinga mail delivery, and more particularly to a door-actuated signal device.

In rural areas mailboxes are necessarily located along the road, usuallya considerable distance from the house, and quite frequently on theopposite side of the road from the house. This generally necessitateslong, inconvenient and often dangerous trips to and from the mailbox. Itis, therefore, desirable that the owner of the mailbox may know whetherthe mailman has delivered any mail at his box, so as not to makeunnecessary trips to the box.

Summary of the invention The invention comprises a mailbox signalingdevice consisting of a strip of spring material having a preferablycolored rubber ball or similar article attached to one end thereof. Theother end of the spring strip is adapted to be attached to the inside ofa mailbox door by any attaching means such as rivets or a transverselydisposed metal link and two bolts.

The spring strip is of such a length that it will extend some distanceabove the top of the door when in signaling position, but permitting itto be bent inward so that the ball will contact the inside of the topwall of the mailbox. If desired, a notch may be cut in the inturned rimflange on the door of the mailbox to accommodate the spring strip whenthe signal is in projected or signaling position.

A modified embodiment of the invention is adapted for use upon mailboxesin which the door has a rim flange received inside of the box. In thisform of the signaling device the spring strip has an intermediateportion bent to accommodate said flange when the spring strip is in theprojected position.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to Provide an improvedmailbox signal which will indicate when mail has been placed in the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a signal which willbe automatically operated by opening of the mailbox door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal device of thecharacter referred to having a spring load signaling portion free to beprojected into signaling position by opening of the door and withoutinterfering with subsequent closing of the door.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ice signaldevice of this type which is of simple and inexpensive construction andmay be easily and readily attached to a mailbox door.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a mailboxsignal consisting of a flat strip of spring metal with means forattaching the lower end to the inside of a mailbox door, a coloredrubber ball or the like being attached to the upper end thereof.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from thedrawing and following description, or which may be later referred to,may be attained by constructing the improved mailbox signal in themanner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein are shown two, butobviously not necessarily the only embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a mailbox equipped with asignal device embodying the invention, the signal being shown projectedin operated position in full lines and being shown bent in retainedposition within the box in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the inner side of the door, showingthe signal device attached thereto;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a mailbox equipped with theimproved signal device, in which the marginal flange of the door is notnotched to receive the signal device in projected or operated position;and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view through a type ofmailbox in which the marginal flange of the door is received within thehousing of the box, showing a modified form of the signal deviceattached thereto and shaped to accommodate said inwardly disposedmarginal door flange.

Referring now more particularly to the construction illustrated in FIGS.1 and 2, a conventional rural mailbox is indicated generally at 10,comprising a horizontally elongated housing 11 with flat bottom 12 androunded top 13, as in usual construction.

The box is provided with a closed rear end 14, the front end being openand adapted to be normally closed by the door 15, hinged at its loweredge to the bottom of the front opening of the housing, as indicated at16.

For the purpose of normally holding the door 15 in closed position, theusual straps 17 and 18 are attached to the upper front ends of thehousing and door, respectively, and provided with the interfittingdeformations 19 and 20, respectively, which act as latch means for thedoor to hold the same in closed position, as shown in FIG. 1. The sideand top edges of the door 15 are provided with the usual marginal flange21 which surrounds the corresponding portions of the side walls and topat the open end of the housing.

The signal device to which the invention pertains is adapted to be usedupon a rural mail-box of conventional design as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2and above described. This signal device comprises an elongated strip ofspring steel, indicated at 22, having a "brightly colored rubber ball23, or the like, fixed upon one end, the other end being adapted to beattached to the inside of the door 15 of the mailbox. The rubber ball 23is preferably colored red so as to make the same more readily visible ata distance.

For the purpose of connecting the spring strip to the door 15, the stripis placed on the inside of the door, in vertical position with the ball23 at the top and extending a distance above the top of the door, asbest shown in FIG. 2. A link 24 is placed transversely across the lowerend portion of the spring strip 22. The link 24 is attached to the door15 by bolts 25 located through the link and door on each side of thestrip 22, and nuts 26 which clamp the lower end portion of the springstrip 22 to the inner face of the door. The strip may be secured t thedoor in any other desired manner.

A notch 27 may be cut in the fiange 21 near the top of the door toaccommodate the spring strip 22, when the signal device is in theoperated or projected position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This is the onlychange made in the construction of the conventional rural mailbox.

In the operation of the device, the owner of the mailbox opens the door15 and bends the spring strip 22 inward, into the housing 11 of the box,and then closes the door, the spring strip 22 assuming the broken lineposition shown in FIG. 1 with the ball 23 contacting the inside of thetop wall of the housing of the box.

When the mailman opens the door 15 to place mail in the box, the upperweighted end of the strip 22 will spring outward, against the innersurface of the door, and when the door is again closed by the mailman,the signal will be in the full line position shown in FIG. 1, with thespring strip upright displaying the brightly colored ball at its upperend, indicating to the owner that mail has been placed in the box.

In FIG. 3 the mailbox and door are of the same construction as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, and the same reference numerals refer to the same partsthereon. This figure shows how the same signal device may be used upon aconventional mailbox without cutting a notch, as shown at 27 in FIG. 1,in the marginal flange 21 of the door.

The lower end of the spring strip 2 is attached to the inner surface ofthe door 15 in the same manner as shown in FIG. 2 and the red rubberball 23, or the like, is attached to the upper end thereof.

In set position the spring strip 22 is bent within the housing of thebox, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. When the box is opened, theupper weighted end of the spring strip 22 will spring out of the box andproject upward, and when the door is again closed, the upper portion ofthe marginal flange 21 thereof will contact the spring strip 22 on oneside, the upper portion of the outer open end of the box contacting thestrip on the other side, as shown in FIG. 3. This permits use of thesignal device without making any change at all in the box or door,except to drill or punch two holes in the door to receive the attachingbolts 25.

FIG. 4 shows a Slight modification of the signaling device adapted to beattached to mailboxes of a type in which the marginal flange upon thedoor is received within the open end of the box housing, there being aslight clearance between the flange and the inner wall of the housing.

The mailbox is indicated generally at a and comprises the horizontallyelongated housing 11a, with fiat bottom 12a and rounded top 13a. Therear end of the housing is, of course, closed as shown in FIG. 1, andthe front end open and adapted to be normally closed by the door 15a,hinged at its lower edge to the bottom of the front opening of thehousing, as indicated at 16a.

The usual straps 17a and 18a are attached to the upper front ends of thehousing and door, respectively, and provided with the interfittingdeformations 19a and 20a, respectively, to provide latch means forholding the door in closed position, as shown in FIG. 4.

The side and top edges of the door 15a are provided with the marginalflange 21a which is received within the corresponding portions of theside walls and top at the open end of the housing, as shown in thedrawing.

The signal device in this instance comprises an elongated strip ofspring steel 22a having a brightly colored object, such as a red rubberball indicated at 23a, fixed upon one end, the other end being adaptedto be attached to the inside of the door 15a of the mailbox by a link,bolts and nuts, such as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the same referencenumerals being used to indicate these parts.

For the purpose of accommodating the marginal flange 21a on the door,the spring strip 22a is bent inwardly intermediate its ends as indicatedat 27, and then downwardly and outwardly as at 28, terminating in thestraight lower portion 29. The spring strip 22a may be bent inwardlyinto the box, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, the ball 23acontacting the top of the box housing.

When the door 15a is opened by the mailman to place mail in the box, theupper weighted end of the spring strip 22a will spring outward againstthe inner surface of' the door, and when the door is again closed by themailman the signal will be in the full line position shown in FIG. 4,with the inwardly offset portion 27 received between the top of thehousingand the marginal flange 21a of the box, the upper end of thespring strip projecting upward displaying the red ball 23a at its upperend, indicating to the owner that mail has been placed in the box.

It will be seen that the form of signal device shown in FIG. 4 may alsobe easily and readily applied to a mailbox of conventional designwithout making any change in the construction of the box or door exceptto drill or punch two holes in the door to receive the attaching bolts25.

From the above it will be obvious that a simple, inexpensive signaldevice is provided which may be quickly and readily applied to aconventional type of rural mailbox and which will be automaticallyoperated by opening of the mailbox door without interfering withsubsequent closing of the door.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchwords are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to bebroadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrates anddescribed herein are by way of example, and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, theoperation, and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and theadvantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and usefulconstruction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious tothose skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A signal device for attachment to a mailbox of the type including ahousing open at one end, and having a door hingedly connected at itslower edge to the open end of the housing and provided with a marginalflange cooperating with the housing; said signal device comprising asingle spring strip of uniform width throughout its length having abrightly colored ball at its upper end, and means connecting the lowerend portion of the spring strip to the inner surface of the door at apoint spaced below the top of the door, said spring strip being of suchlength that in projected position the upper end thereof will extendabove the top of the box displaying said brightly colored ball, thespring strip being adapted to be flexed inwardly so that the ball willcontact the top wall of the box, the means connecting the spring stripto the door comprising a link located transversely of the spring strip,and bolts located through the link and through the door on oppositesides of the s ring strip and nuts on said bolts.

2. A signal device as defined in claim 1, in which a notch is providedin the upper portion of said marginal 3,391,861 5 6 flange toaccommodate said spring strip, said spring strip References Cited beingnormally straight throughout its entire length.

3. A signal device as defined in claim 1, in which the UNITED STATESPATENTS marginal flange of the door is disposed within the open 9,0 95/1895 French 23234 end of the box housing, and said spring strip has an5 908,543 1/1909 Brown 23217 offset bend intermediate its ends toaccommodate said ,17 ,742 9/ 1939 Matthai 232-13 marginal flange whensaid spring strip is in projected 33,940 1/ 1948 Weaver 23235 position,said spring strip being curved inwardly and up- ,9 4,920 10/1960 Harger232--35 wardly from its lower end to said oflset bend, the upper3,207,427 9/1965 Madewell 23235 end of the spring strip being located inthe same vertical 10 plane as the lower end thereof. FRANCIS K. ZUGEL,Primary Examiner.

